Combination thimble and needle-threader.



J. H. BOYE.

COMBINATION THIMBLE AND NEEDLE THREADER.

APPLICATION FILED AUGJ, 1914.

1,143,249., Patented June 15, 1915.

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James 1%(joye,

J ozg /ndzwa "FE NORRIS PETERS CO.. FHOTO-LITHQ. WASHINGIUIII. u. Iv

. danger of JAMES H. BOYE, or CHICAGO, ILLINoIs, ASSIGNOR TO THE BOYE NEEDLE ooM'PAnY,

' OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS. I

COMBINATION TI-IIMBLE AND NEEDLE-THREADER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 15, 1915.

Application filed August 7, 1914. Serial No. 855,637.

To all whom it may concern:

Be-it known that I, JAMES H. BOYE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Combination Thimbles and Needle-Threaders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates particularly to a combined thimble and needle-threader; and the primary object is to provide a thimble with a needle-threader which is so constructed and combined with the thimble as to form an inconspicuous attachment, the threader being so guarded as to prevent catching on any delicate fabric when the thimble is used in the ordinary way in the operation of sewing;

The invention is illustrated in its preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 represents a greatly enlarged view of a combined thimble and needle threader embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a similar view, in which a needle is shown broken and partly in section in the threading operation; Fig. 3, a similar view showing the final operation of threading the needle; Fig. 4, a section taken as indicated at line 4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5, a similar section, showing the threader-hook engaged by the needle (shown in section), and thus bent away from the thimble; and Fig. 6, a broken section as indicated at line 6 of Fig. 1.

In the construction illustrated, A represents a thimble; and B a needle-threader combined therewith.

. The thimble is provided at its large, or open, end with a bead 1 which is formed by curving the metal outwardly and downwardly, or toward the closed end of the thimble, as most clearly shown in Fig. 6. The threader B comprises avery thin member which is disposed just beneath the bead 1 and extends parallel therewith, the member being curved to conform to the curvature of the thimble so that the member will hug closely the outer wall of the thimble. The member is formed, or stamped, from a thin strip of steel, and is preferably suitably tempered. It has a shank 2 provided at its base with an edgewise extension 3 which is firmly clenched between the lower edge of the bead 1 and theadjacent wall of the thimble. At the free extremity of the member is a hook having an upturned barb 4, the extremity ofthe hook projecting over a recess, or depression, 5 formed by striking the metal of the thimble inward just below the bead 1. The threader is provided at an intermediate point with a downwardlyextending lug 6 which affords a stop which serves to prevent the needle from being passed far enough toward the base of the threader to permanently bend the threader outwardly away from the thimble.

The thimble is provided with circumferentially-extending outwardly-struck embossments '7 and 8 which are disposed just below the threader and are separated by a space 9 which accommodates the lug 6 of the threader. The thimble is also provided with an outwardly-struck vertical embossment 1 0 which is disposed some distance from the point of the hook and borders the depression 5. That is, the embossment 10 extends at right angles to the head 1 and is disposed immediately below said bead. It thus affords a guide for the needle 11.

In the operation of threading the needle, the needle is passed along the member 10 until the head of the needle engages the lower side of the bead 1, and is then moved parallel to itself until the hook of the threader passes through the eye of the 85 needle in the manner shown in Fig. 2. The thread .12 is then, by an easy and natural movement, looped over the barb of the hook, and afterward the needle is moved off the hook, completing the threading operation. It will be understood that the lower edge of the bead 1 forms a guide for the head of the needle while the needle is being moved laterally to engage the hook of the threader. The engagement of the hook with the eye of the needle is easily efiected by reason of the fact that the extremity of the hook projects over the depression 5. The threader, as a whole, however, closely embraces the outer wall of the thimble, and is suitably guarded, or housed, by the members 1 and 10 which afford guides, and the emboss- .ments 7 and 8 disposed adjacent the lower edge of the threader.

For convenience of illustration, the thimble, and other parts, are shown of greatly exaggerated size, but it will be understood that, in practice, the threader may be made of very thin material and of small size, so that the guard parts need not be large. In

fact, the attachment is, in practice, so 111;.

conspicuous as to be hardly noticeable, and

the threader is so well guarded in every di-j' The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearnessand understanding only, and no unnecessary limitation should be understood therefrom;

What I regard as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination of 'a'thimble having its open end provided with anexternalbead adapted to serve as a guide for the head of a needle, a projecting external guide-lug extending substantially at right angles to the bead, and a circumferentially extending needle-threader having a-shank secured at its base-end to the thimble' adjacent tosaid bead and having a :hook with its extremity spaced a short distance fromcsaid g-uide lug. 2;The :combination of thimble having itszopen end provided with an'external'bead adapted'toserve asa guide for the head of a needle, a projectingexternal guide-lug extending substantially at right angles to the bead, a circumferentiall-y extending needlethreader having a shank secured at its base end tolthe thimble adjacent to said bead and having ahook with its extremity spaced a short distance a from said guidedug, and a guard-lug disposed beneath said :threader.

3. The combination of a :thimble having its open end provided with an external bead, a projecting external guide-lug extending substantially at right angles to said bead, the thimble having a depression adjacent to said: guide-lug, and a threader disposed im mediately below said head and having a shank-securely attached to the thimble and an extremity extending over said depression. 4. The combination of a-thimble-having its open end provided with an external bead, a: projecting. external. guide-lug extending substantially aat ri'ghtvanglesto said bead, the thimble having a depression adjacent to said guide-lug, a threader disposed immedi-. ately below said bead and having a shank securely attached to the .thi-mble and an extremity extending .over saidrdepression, and a proj ecting external guard-lug onvthe thin]:- ble disposed below said tl reader.

5. The combination of a-Qthimble having its upper edge-portion: curved outwardly .anddownwardly and affording a bead, a circumferentially extending needle-threader disposed beneath .said bead and so spaced with relation theret'o'that said head will serveas a guide for-thehead of "the needle and as a guard for the threader, and proecting-external guards on the thimble protecting the extremity and lower' edge of the threader. r

6. The combination of a thimble having an outwardly and downwardly curved upper edge affording abead, -a circumferentially extending needle-'th-reader having a shankwith its base-portion secured'by said bead, a -projecting external guide-lug extending substantially atright angles to said bead and spaced a short distance from the extremity of the threader, and a-projecting external guarcl-lug disposed beneath the lower edge of thethreader. 7. The combination with a thimble having an outwardly and downwardly-turned bead at-itsopen-end, of a threader'comprising a; memberhaving-a shankmediately below i said bead, the extremity of said hook projecting over said depression. 9'. Thecombination-with a thimble provided with a depression, of avneedle-threader hook extending circumferentially of the thimble and curved to lie against the outer surface of the thimble,: the extremity of said ;hook iproj eoting over; said depression, andvelevations on the enter surface of said thimble guarding :said threader-hook.

:Inpresence of' j NnLLmB. DEARBORN, 7

F. A. ELoRnLL'.

Copies 01-11112 patent may be. obtained-for fivecencs each;fby add ac m h of ts,

7 =Washing'ton,'D.0. I a V with its baseportion secured-by said head and having a JAMES H. BOYE. i 

